1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a coaxial cable connector, and, more particularly, to a coaxial cable connector of the wedge-lock type with a minimum number of parts.
2. Description of the Related Art
One objective in designing coaxial cable connectors is to provide good physical and electrical contact between the coaxial cable to which the connector is attached and a jack or another connector. In addition, it is desirable to obtain these results with a connector which is easily produced and easily assembled on the ends of coaxial cables. Numerous variations in design have been used in an effort to attain these objectives. Two catagories of connectors, each of which include many variations, are crimp-type and wedge-lock type connectors. In the crimp-type, a crimp tool is used to physically compress a malleable portion of the connector to engage it with the coaxial cable. In the wedge-lock type of connector, the threading of a nut causes compression of a portion of the connector to similarly engage the coaxial cable.
There are at least two types of wedge-lock connectors. In the first, a separate wedge nut is threated into the main body of the connector. This provides a relatively secure physical contact between the coaxial cable and the connector, but requires an undesirably large number of components. Examples of this type include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,408,822 and 4,456,323. Other wedge-lock type connectors dispense with the extra nut at the rear of the main body and rely on the pressure exerted by the coupling nut, when threaded for the first time onto a jack, to engage other elements of the connector. Examples of this type of connector include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,498,647; 3,985,418 and 4,557,546. While the number of parts is reduced somewhat, each of these still require an excessive amount of machining and often are less than satisfactory in securing the connector to the coaxial cable.
All three of the last mentioned patents describe a coaxial cable connector having at least slightly sloping and abutting surfaces on inner and outer annular members. All of these connectors are assembled when a rear-most member is slid over and around a front member which has some type of serrated inner surface that engages the outer surface of the coaxial cable. However, only the '647 patent includes any means for engagement between the front and rear annular members. A snap ring is carried by a circumferential groove in the inner surface of the rear annular member until it reaches a matching circumferential groove on the outer surface of the front annular member. Further compression of the connector is prevented by the snap ring and the annular members are secured to each ather only if the grooves can be aligned with the snap ring in between.